Philonise Floyd — brother of George “Perry” Floyd Jr, who was murdered by Minneapolis police officers in 2020 — spoke to the Utah Valley University community about the importance of communication, the willingness to have hard conversations about racism, and “turning pain into purpose,” as part of UVU’s 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration.

“Communication presents information,” Floyd said. “You simply cannot stop talking about race and racism. That’s not something you can sweep under the rug. If it’s tough to talk about, we need to do something about it.”

Floyd responded to questions posed by Dr. Erika Johnson, assistant professor of literacies and composition at UVU. He spoke about growing up with George, his brother’s kind and outgoing nature, and his desire to seek accountability after George’s murder.

“My brother’s death has changed the world,” he said. “It’s forced me to get out and do the footwork. We have all adapted around George Floyd.”

One of the biggest efforts Floyd has been supporting is a proposed federal law addressing the ways police operate. He spoke in passionate support of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020 but has not yet passed both the House and the Senate. Immediately after George's funeral in 2020, he said, he flew with family to Washington, D.C., to address Congress, urging them to "do the right thing." 

“Don’t let this tragedy hit your front door before you act,” Floyd said. “If you witness injustice, don’t turn a blind eye. Don’t allow what happened to my brother to happen to your brother.”

Floyd also took questions from UVU community members, submitted via the UVU Africa Diaspora Initiative website. Dr. Kyle Reyes, UVU vice president of Student Affairs, led the question-and-answer session.